Wagon-tongue



(No Model.)

No. 341,791. Patented May 11, 1886;.

WITNESSES.

yaw- 2M UNITED STATES Parent Unmet...

ROBERT H. BRANCH, on MARTINSVILLE, INDIANA.

WAGON-TONGUE.

SPEGIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,791, dated May 11, 1886.

Application filed March b18556. Serial No. 1fl5,f0l. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bonner H. BRANCH, of the city of Martinsville, county of Morgan, and

State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vagon-Tongues, of which the following is a specification.

Theobjectof my saidinvention is toprovidea method of attaching a tongue to a wagon,whereby said tongue may upon occasion be made either loose upon the bolt which connects it to the hounds or be made stiff with said hounds. This object is accomplished by mounting the tongue in such a manner that it or a piece thereon may be moved back and forth somewhat, and thus engage with or be freed from engagement with a cross-bar on thehounds, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wagon, the tongue of which is secured in position in accordance with my invention in its preferable form; Fig. 2, atop or plan View ofso much of the tongue and hounds separately as embody the said invention; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 4-, a central section on the dotted line 4. 4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a horizontal section on the dotted line 5 5 in Fig. 7; Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 4, except that the tongue is moved forward out of engagement with the cross-bar, and Fig. 7 a view of an alternate construction.

In said drawings, the portions marked A represent the hounds of the wagon; B, the tongue, and O a cam-shaft by which the move ment necessary to my invention is effected.

The hounds A, tongue B, as well as the remaining portions of the wagon, are, or may be, in general form of any desired construction. The hounds A have a cross-bar, A, secured thereto, preferably by two bolts--one at each end-each of which has a large rubber washer, a, interposed between its head and said bar to afford a slight spring therefor. will be understood, of course, that this bar or catch portion might be made movable, if desired, instead of the tongue, and the same result would be thereby accomplished. At the forward end the hounds have the usual hole for the bolt, which secures the tongue thereto, and which form bearings for said tongue.

The tongue B, as before stated, is, generally speaking, of the usual form. The bolt or pivot hole is so located that its rear end will just pass beneath and be held by the crossbar A when the cam is turned in one direction, and will escape from engagement with said bar when the cam is turned in the other direction.

Instead of having the tongue made to move as a whole, it might be divided, and its rear portion might be secured either above or below the main portion, and could be operated to engage with the bar A, as shown in Fig. 7 and as will be readily understood.

The camshaft G is mountedin the bearings provided therefor in the forward end of the hounds, and its center or cam portion passe through the hole in the tongue. On one end it is provided with a crank, O, by which it may be turned, and a spring, 0, in the form of a clip, is provided, with which the handle of said crank may engage, and thus be held in position when desired.

Having thus fully described my said inveir tion, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the tongue, hounds, and a catch portion for engaging the rear end of said tongue, and means for adjusting said tongue longitudinally into and out of engagement with said catch portion, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the tongue, hounds, a cam-shaft connecting them, a crank on said shaft, a spring-catch on said hounds, with whichthe handle of the crank may engage, and a catch-bar with which the end of the tongue may engage, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the hounds A, cross bar A thereon, the tongue B, the rear end of which is adjusted to engage with said. crossbar, and means for moving the parts into or out of engagement.

4. The combination, in a wagon, of the hounds provided with a cross-bar, and a tongue secured to said hounds and movable longitudinally thereon, whereby it may be brought into engagement with the cross-bar or released from such engagement, substantially asset forth.

5. I The combination of the hounds provided with a cross-bar, a tongue, anda cam-shaft connecting the hounds and tongue, which, when turned, will bring the rear end of the tongue into engagement with the cross-bar or release it therefrom, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the hounds having cross-bar A, bolts having elastic washers a, for securing them in position, the tongue B,

the rear end of which is adapted to engage with said cross-bar, and means for throwing said rear end into or out of engagement with I 5 ROBERT H. BRANCH. [L. s.]

In presence of- O. BRADFORD, E. W. BRADFORD. 

